There was a time in my life when I almost thought I could never lose a single duel of chess. Jose Raul Capablanca More Quotes by Jose Raul Capablanca More Quotes From Jose Raul Capablanca People who want to improve should take their defeats as lessons, and endeavor to learn what to avoid in the future. You must also have the courage of your convictions. If you think your move is good, make it. Jose Raul Capablanca learning moving thinking You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player. Jose Raul Capablanca motivation player winning In order to improve your game you must study the endgame before everything else; for, whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middlegame and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame. Jose Raul Capablanca chess-game games order Most players ... do not like losing, and consider defeat as something shameful. This is a wrong attitude. Those who wish to perfect themselves must regard their losses as lessons and learn from them what sorts of things to avoid in the future. Jose Raul Capablanca player loss attitude Chess is more than a game or a mental training. It is a distinct attainment. I have always regarded the playing of chess and the accomplishment of a good game as an art, and something to be admired no less than an artist's canvas or the product of a sculptor's chisel. Chess is a mental diversion rather than a game. It is both artistic and scientific. Jose Raul Capablanca accomplishment games art The great World Champions Morphy, Steinitz, and Lasker were past masters in the art of Pawn play; they had no superiors in their handling of endgames. The present World Champion has not the strength of the other three as an endgame player, and is therefore inferior to them. Jose Raul Capablanca player past art When you sit down to play a game you should think only about the position, but not about the opponent. Whether chess is regarded as a science, or an art, or a sport, all the same psychology bears no relation to it and only stands in the way of real chess. Jose Raul Capablanca real sports art A good player is always lucky. Jose Raul Capablanca lucky player success In order to improve your game you must study the endgame before everything else. Jose Raul Capablanca chess-game games order None of the great players has been so incomprehensible to the majority of amateurs and even masters, as Emanuel Lasker. Jose Raul Capablanca majority player chess Ninety percent of the book variations have no great value, because either they contain mistakes or they are based on fallacious assumptions; just forget about the openings and spend all that time on the endings. Jose Raul Capablanca variation mistake book Sultan Khan had become champion of India at Indian chess and he learned the rules of our form of chess at a later date. The fact that even under such conditions he succeeded in becoming champion reveals a genius for chess which is nothing short of extraordinary. Jose Raul Capablanca champion india genius Chess is a very logical game and it is the man who can reason most logically and profoundly in it that ought to win. Jose Raul Capablanca games winning men Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight Jose Raul Capablanca glasses player book The king, which during the opening and middlegame stage is often a burden because it has to be defended, becomes in the endgame a very important and aggressive piece, and the beginner should realize this, and utilize his king as much as possible. Jose Raul Capablanca beginners important kings The best way to learn endings, as well as openings, is from the games of the masters. Jose Raul Capablanca games chess way A passed pawn increase in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes. Jose Raul Capablanca chess-pieces boards numbers The winning of a pawn among good players of even strength often means the winning of the game. Jose Raul Capablanca player winning mean An hour's history of two minds is well told in a game of chess. Jose Raul Capablanca games mind two Endings of one rook and pawns are about the most common sort of endings arising on the chess board. Yet though they do occur so often, few have mastered them thoroughly. They are often of a very difficult nature, and sometimes while apparently very simple they are in reality extremely intricate. Jose Raul Capablanca boards simple reality